Should Racial Differences in Life Span Factor in Damage in Torts Awards?!

I just read a piece in The Wall Street Journal Law Blog and thought it was pretty interesting. The judge in the case cited scholarship by a University of Maine Law professor which uncovered and argued against the practice of using race-based actuarial calculations to help determine torts awards. (Damages in Tort Litigation: Thoughts on Race and Remedies", 1865-2007) I was kind of shocked that this has apparently standard practice still continues. Still got a long way to go!